It’s not just hot dogs Joey Chestnut is devouring. Boasting 55 official world-eating records that span everything from poutine to pulled-pork sandwiches, the 41-year-old Californian sits alone atop the competitive-eating throne. Today, he’ll try to break another world record at Nathan’s Fourth of July Hot Dog Eating Contest, as he continues to redefine the limits of human capacity—and appetite.
Click ahead to feast your eyes on ten of Chestnut’s most outrageous, belt-busting triumphs…you’ll never believe how many ice cream sandwiches he ate in six minutes.
76 Hot Dogs & Buns in 10 Minutes
Event: Nathan’s Famous Fourth of July, Coney Island, 2021
Why it’s wild: Chestnut inhaled 76 HDBs—roughly 20,000 calories—in less time tha it takes to watch a sitcom episode.
182 Chicken Wings in 30 Minutes
Event: MLE Long-Form Wing Discipline, Buffalo, NY (2012)
Why it’s wild: More than six wings every minute for half an hour—nearly 20 pounds of sauced poultry.
28 Pounds of Poutine in 10 Minutes
Event: Smoke’s Poutinerie World Championship, Toronto, 2019
Why it’s wild: Fries, gravy and cheese curds equal a dense, slippery mess—Chestnut polished off the equivalent of a medium-sized toddler in comfort food.
126 Street-Sized Tacos in 8 Minutes
Event: Mystic Lake Casino World Taco-Eating Championship, 2017
Why it’s wild: Two full tacos every seven seconds. Stacked end-to-end, Chestnut’s haul would stretch longer than a football field.
141 Hard-Boiled Eggs in 8 Minutes
Event: Radcliff Fall Festival World Egg-Eating Championship, Kentucky, 2013
Why it’s wild: Paul Newman’s “Cool Hand Luke” ate 50—Chestnut nearly tripled that.
45 Pulled-Pork Sandwiches in 10 Minutes
Event: Beach, Boogie & BBQ Festival, Myrtle Beach, 2007
Why it’s wild: An entire backyard cookout—buns, sauce and shredded pork—devoured before the charcoal even gets hot.
23 Six-Inch Philly Cheesesteaks in 10 Minutes
Event: Dorney Park World Cheesesteak Championship, Pennsylvania, 2011
Why it’s wild: Nearly 14 feet of beef, cheese and roll—enough to feed an entire little-league team—gone in a flash.
9.35-Pound Whole Turkey in 10 Minutes
Event: Foxwoods Resort Turkey-Eating Championship, Connecticut, 2014
Why it’s wild: Thanksgiving dinner for ten, devoured while most people are still carving.
390 Shrimp Wontons in 8 Minutes
Event: CP Biggest Eater Grand Finale, Bangkok, 2012
Why it’s wild: Roughly one wonton every 1.2 seconds—chopsticks couldn’t keep up, so Chestnut went double-handed scoop-style.
25.5 Ice-Cream Sandwiches in 6 Minutes
Event: Baked Bear World Ice-Cream Sandwich Championship, San Diego, 2018
Why it’s wild: Brain-freeze be damned—Chestnut demolished more than two dozen frozen bricks (cookies plus hard ice cream) at a pace of one every 14 seconds.
What’s Next?
Now Chestnut looks to break his own Nathan’s Hot Dog record of 76. Weather conditions in Coney Island look ripe, but it’s still a tall feat. He’s a massive favorite to win the contest—no surprise there—but oddsmakers set the over/under of hot dogs eaten at “just” 71.5.
Can he do the unthinkable and get to 77 or even break 80?
July 4th Prediction: 68 Hot Dogs
